This invention relates to tools for notching and slitting tubing and particularly to a tool for use in fabricating guards for guy wires by using one utility blade for slitting and another utility blade for a short diagonal end cut to complete a notch.
A slitting tool having a blade extending into the opening through a sleeve to be pulled along a piece of plastic tubing is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,988,826 issued to Arvid E. Heikkala on Nov. 2, 1976. Punches, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,422 issued to David A. Williams on Mar. 25, 1980 have been used to notch the ends of pieces of tubing.
Tools similar to that for slitting tubing have been used to slit end portions of insulating coverings of electrical cables to facilitate their removal. The notching punches have been used to cut annular notches in preparation for joining pieces of tubing at an angle.
Manufacturers have prepared, at substantial cost resulting from marketing and delivery, brightly colored pieces of split and notched tubing to be applied around the lower ends of guy wires attached to poles of electrical transmission lines. Since brightly colored plastic tubing used in fabricating the guards is like that used prevalently in plumbing and is readily available at relatively low cost from widely located distributors, electrical utilities can readily purchase the tubing, and by using a suitable tool economically split and notch the tubing for application to guy wires.